No long-term contract expected for Fred Davis

Update: The 4 p.m. deadline has passed and NFL sources confirm that the Redskins and tight end Fred Davis have not reached a deal on a long-term contract. He will play this season under the one-year franchise tag at a salary of about $5.5 million.

The Washington Redskins and tight end Fred Davis are not expected to reach an agreement on a long-term deal by Monday’s NFL franchise player deadline, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Davis was set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but the team used its franchise tag to retain his services. He signed that one-year tender — worth roughly $5.5 million — in March. The team and Davis’s agent have until 4 p.m. Monday to come to terms on a longer-term deal, but it appears that the deadline will pass without that happening, and Davis could again become a free agent next offseason.

Davis posted career-best numbers last season, with 59 catches for 796 yards in his fourth year out of USC. He also had three touchdown catches. But he missed the final four games of the season after failing multiple drug tests. Davis said he has learned from his mistakes and that he is eager to prove to team officials that his problems are a thing of the past. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said that they see a change in Davis, who they say is a big part of their plans for the 2012 season.

It doesn’t come as a surprise, however, that the team would want to wait before signing Davis to a long-term deal. With one more failed drug test, he would have to serve a one-year suspension.